Questions answered.

Sapphire Botanics is the first skincare brand built specifically for hormonally reactive skin. We combine Ayurvedic Dosha Intelligence, which identifies the pattern of hormonal disruption affecting your skin, with Targeted Phytochemistry, which selects the exact botanicals whose bioactive compounds address that disruption at its biochemical source. We make two elixirs. That is all we do.

It is the skin that flares, dulls, breaks out, or changes in response to hormonal shifts. Cycle fluctuations, PCOS, pregnancy, postpartum, stress spikes, and perimenopause all disrupt skin through different hormonal pathways. Hormonally reactive skin is not a skin type. It is how your skin responds when your hormones move, and it calls for a different approach than generic sensitive skin or acne skincare.

Ayurvedic Dosha Intelligence is a 5,000-year-old diagnostic system for identifying the pattern of disruption in the body. Applied to skin, it tells us whether your hormones are driving an active flare (Pitta) or depletion (Vata). Targeted Phytochemistry is how we choose which botanicals go into each formulation, based on the specific bioactive compounds that address each pattern. The diagnosis is Ayurvedic. The ingredient selection is phytochemical. Together they make each elixir precise for the skin it is formulated for.

Sapphire Botanics is incorporated in Ontario, Canada. Our formulations are manufactured at an FDA-registered, GMP and ISO-certified facility in India, where Ayurvedic botanical preparation has the deepest manufacturing tradition in the world. Every batch is quality-tested before it ships, and finished products are stocked and fulfilled from our Canadian operations.

Yes. We are Leaping Bunny Certified (independently verified cruelty-free), 100% vegan, pregnancy safe, waterless, and packaged in recyclable glass. Our manufacturing facility holds FDA, GMP, and ISO certifications. Full third-party certification details are available on our Transparency page.

Reshma Singh and Arrchith co-founded the brand after Reshma developed hormonal cystic acne during pregnancy. Nothing she tried worked, so she turned to Ayurveda and built the first formulation herself. Reshma leads creative and is the face of the brand. Arrchith leads tech, operations, and marketing. You can read the full story on our About page.

Take our Hormonal Skin Quiz. It is seven questions and takes about ninety seconds. You will get a dosha diagnosis (Pitta, Vata, or both) and a matched elixir recommendation based on what your hormones are actually doing to your skin.

Start with the one that matches your primary concern. Night Repair Elixir if your skin is breaking out, oily, or scarred from hormonal flares. Bio Retinol Elixir if your skin is showing fine lines, dullness, or depletion from hormonal shifts. Many women over 30 experience both, and the Power Couple bundle gives you both at a discount. The quiz will tell you which pattern you match.

One full-size Night Repair Elixir and one full-size Bio Retinol Elixir, bundled at a $25 saving off buying them separately. The bundle is designed as a complete AM and PM ritual: Bio Retinol in the morning, Night Repair in the evening.

The 10ml is a trial size with around 40 drops, lasting 10 to 14 days. The 30ml is our standard size with around 120 drops, lasting 30 to 40 days. The 30ml is the better value per ml and the size we recommend for a proper 28-day evaluation of results.

Start with the Power Couple bundle. Your skin is showing both patterns, which is very common during perimenopause, postpartum, or after 30. Night Repair addresses the breakouts and post-acne marks at night, and Bio Retinol addresses the fine lines and depletion in the morning. They are formulated to complement each other.

If your retinol works for you and you do not experience irritation, dryness, or sensitivity, there is no need to switch. Bio Retinol Elixir is for people who cannot use retinol (during pregnancy or breastfeeding, with reactive skin, or while using other actives) or who want retinol-level results without photosensitivity and purging. Bakuchiol works on the same cellular receptors as retinol and has been studied head-to-head with it in peer-reviewed trials with comparable results.

Most women notice calmer, softer skin within 7 to 14 days. By day 28, the difference is visible in photographs. In our 28-day consumer perception study with 30 participants, 94% reported calmer, less reactive skin and 91% reported faded post-acne marks with Night Repair Elixir. Skincare works on skin cell turnover cycles, which take 28 days. Give a new product a full cycle before deciding.

3 to 4 drops for the whole face. Dispense into your palms, warm the oil between your hands for a few seconds, and press gently into clean skin starting from the centre and working outward.

Face oil is the last step of hydration, before SPF in the morning. The order is: cleanse, tone or mist, any water-based serum, eye cream, elixir, then SPF (in the morning) or nothing (at night). If you use a cream moisturiser, apply it before the elixir, not after.

Yes, but space them out. Use your acid exfoliants at night on non-elixir nights, or apply them in the morning and use the elixir at night. Vitamin C can be used in the morning before the elixir. If your skin is in active flare or reactive, simplify your routine and let the elixir do the work alone for the first 28 days.

Yes, and that is exactly how the Power Couple ritual is designed. Bio Retinol in the morning under SPF. Night Repair in the evening before bed. They work on different hormonal patterns and complement each other rather than competing.

Yes. Bakuchiol is not photosensitising the way synthetic retinol is, but SPF is non-negotiable for any anti-aging or brightening routine. Unprotected sun exposure undoes the collagen and tone work the elixir is doing.

Counterintuitively, no. When skin is stripped of oil by harsh products, it overcompensates by producing more sebum. Our elixirs use plant oils that closely match your skin's natural lipid profile, so your skin recognises them, stops overproducing, and rebalances. Most women notice their skin is actually less oily within two weeks.

Yes. We formulated both elixirs so that women never have to choose between effective skincare and safety. Zero retinol, zero synthetic actives, zero essential oils flagged for pregnancy or breastfeeding. Every ingredient is reviewed against current dermatological guidance. We always recommend checking with your physician before introducing any new product during pregnancy.

Our formulations are designed to calm reactive skin, but every skin is different. If you are being treated for a skin condition by a dermatologist, check with them before starting. Always patch-test first. If your condition flares from common botanical ingredients, our full ingredient lists let you screen before buying.

Check with your dermatologist first. Many prescription treatments (isotretinoin, topical retinoids, benzoyl peroxide) can make your skin more reactive, and layering additional products during that time can cause irritation. Once you finish or pause your prescription, Night Repair Elixir can be a gentler long-term approach to hormonal breakouts.

Our products are formulated for adult skin and we recommend a minimum age of 18. Adolescent hormonal acne responds to different treatment approaches, and a dermatologist is the best first step.

Stop using the product immediately. If the reaction is mild, it usually calms within a few days. If it is severe or persistent, consult your physician. Then email us at hello@sapphirebotanics.com with photos and your order number. Allergic reactions are covered under our Returns policy and we handle them case by case, even on opened products.

Hemp Seed Oil (Cannabis sativa seed oil) comes from the seeds of the cannabis plant and contains negligible to no CBD. CBD is extracted from the leaves, flowers, and stalks, not the seeds. The hemp seed oil in Night Repair Elixir is included for its omega fatty acids and its ability to help rebalance cortisol-driven oil production.

Plant-based ingredients naturally vary in colour, viscosity, and scent from harvest to harvest. Soil, rainfall, and harvest timing all affect the finished oil. These small variations are a sign that our ingredients are genuinely plant-derived rather than synthetic. Performance is unchanged.

Yes, but at very low percentages and only essential oils that are safe for pregnancy and reactive skin. Specifically, lavender and rose for their skin-calming properties, and small amounts of citrus peel oils in Night Repair. We do not use cinnamon, peppermint, eucalyptus, or other essential oils known to irritate reactive skin.

Yes. Bakuchiol has been studied head-to-head with retinol in peer-reviewed clinical trials. Participants using bakuchiol saw comparable improvement in fine lines, pigmentation, and overall photodamage, with significantly less scaling and irritation. The key difference is that bakuchiol is pregnancy safe, not photosensitising, and works without the purge period that synthetic retinol causes.

Water is the most common filler in skincare because it is cheap and makes formulas feel lightweight. It is also why most creams need preservatives. Our elixirs are 100% active botanicals with zero water, which means every drop is working on your skin, and we do not need harsh preservatives to keep the formula stable.

Yes. Bio Retinol Elixir undergoes a traditional Ayurvedic phyto-infusion: an 18-day cold infusion where each botanical is slowly drawn out to preserve its full bioactive potency. No heat. No shortcuts. Heat breaks down volatile phytochemicals. Cold infusion preserves them. This is why our Bio Retinol delivers retinol-level results from a plant source.

We currently ship across Canada and the United States. International shipping beyond CA and US is on our roadmap. Full shipping details are on our Shipping and Delivery page.

Canadian orders arrive in 3 to 7 business days. US orders arrive in 5 to 10 business days. Orders are processed and dispatched within 1 to 2 business days of being placed. You will receive tracking information by email once your order ships.

Yes. Orders over $60 CAD ship free to addresses in Canada and the United States. US customers: $60 CAD is roughly $44 USD depending on the exchange rate. The free shipping threshold is based on the CAD subtotal, which is shown at checkout.

Most US orders are not subject to customs duty. Our products ship from Canada under USMCA provisions, which typically exempt qualifying goods from import duty for personal-use shipments. In rare cases, state sales tax may apply at delivery.

You will receive a shipping confirmation email with a tracking link as soon as your order leaves our warehouse. Tracking information can take up to 24 hours to update. If it has not updated after 48 hours, email us at hello@sapphirebotanics.com.

You have 30 days from delivery to return unopened, unused products for a full refund. Damaged or defective shipments are 100% covered and we pay return shipping. Opened products are handled case by case if the reason is an adverse skin reaction. Full details on our Returns page.

Refunds are issued to your original payment method within 7 to 14 business days of us receiving your return. Your bank may take an additional day or two to post the credit to your statement.

Yes. If your quiz result or skin needs have changed, email us at hello@sapphirebotanics.com within 30 days of delivery and we will arrange an exchange. Any price difference is refunded or charged to your original payment method.

Yes, if your order has not yet shipped. Email us as soon as possible with your order number and we will cancel it and refund in full. Once an order has been handed to the carrier, it cannot be cancelled, but you can return it under our standard policy once it arrives.

Click the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any marketing email. You will be removed from our list immediately. Transactional emails (order confirmations, shipping updates) will still be sent because they are required for your purchase.

Log in to your account to update your name, email, shipping address, or password. If you are having trouble accessing your account, email us and we will help.

Yes. You can ship directly to the recipient by entering their shipping address at checkout. We do not include pricing information in the package. If you would like a handwritten note included, mention it in the order notes field and we will do our best to include one.

Subscriptions are coming soon. We are finalising our subscribe-and-save program, which will offer a discount and free shipping on recurring deliveries of your preferred elixir. Join our email list to be notified when it launches.

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